More Than Meets The Eye
by paranoia'SPLASH
Summary: Bella chose Jacob but vanishes soon after. Edward never gave up looking for her. Years later he stumbles upon a vampire who just might not be one. When said vampire happens to be involved with the Volturi, what happens if vampires fall in love twice? R&R!
1. Prologue

Let's say you found your soul mate, your other half. Not many people are that lucky. More than half the world's population has not found their true love yet. Now, let's say you lost your soul mate to another person, one who was your direct rival. Then what would you do?

I've had more than my fair share of mistakes. I've done horrible things that have caused terrible grief, for both me and others. I've slipped up several times, deluded by my own definition. I won't say I'm perfect, because I'm the direct opposite. I'm the worst being to walk this planet, this universe.

If you lost one that you loved, how would you react? What if your loved one suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but a note bidding you adieu? What if the other one who loved her, your rival, had given up searching for her? Would you give up and crumble like the other one you detested so much? Or would you continue hunting high and low for her, never losing faith, never once even _thinking _about giving up?

If you truly believed she was alive?


	2. Denial

**This is my second fanfic that I'm trying out, so go easy on me, okay? And check out my first fanfic called Falling down and Getting up. **

_Going back to the corner_

_Where I first saw you_

_Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move_

_Got some words on cardboard got your picture in my hand_

_Saying if you see this girl can you tell her where I am_

_Edward…_

I paced the length of the living room, flashing from the couch to the front door each second. I was becoming more and more anxious by the minute, so much so that Jasper had fled the house, claiming that the emotions were making him go wild. Alice lingered, putting up with my manic attitude for the sole purpose of letting me know the results.

_Calm down, Edward. You want to be happy, don't you? She wouldn't like it if she saw you this nervous right now. _

I ignored Alice's thoughts. Of course Bella wouldn't like it. That was in her nature; as sweet and caring as she was, she couldn't stand making someone else on edge. I almost asked Alice if she had seen anything, but that would be a ridiculous question. Of course she hadn't.

"How will you know her decision?"

Of course I knew the answer as soon as Alice thought of it, but she spoke aloud anyway. "Her future, remember? If she cut off ties with him, I should be able to see her, but if she decided to go the other way, I won't be able to because she would be planning to go back anyway." Alice paused, moving to my side. "Now will you stop pacing or do I have to drag Jasper back here? You're making me weary. I don't need to be Jasper to feel your emotions."

I didn't bother to formulate a quick response. I didn't have the time for it. "But it's been three hours, Alice. Surely she would've come up with a decision by now!"

Alice gave me a very frustrated expression. She let her mind run over a previous conversation with Bella. I tried tuning out the images, and it worked. Still, I could…hear the voices speaking in my head. I had a vague notion that it should be irritating, but somehow I was too drained to feel irritated any more.

"_Haven't you noticed, Bella, that Edward is the teensiest bit prone to overreaction?" _Alice had asked.

"I do not overreact," I muttered, knowing Alice could hear. _Yes, you do. _

I shook my head, exasperated. "You're hopeless," I snapped, continuing the frantic pacing. _I can't take it. I'm outta here. _I caught sight of Alice darting out the door, exasperated. I sighed, slightly relieved. Now I could be alone, not having to worry about keeping up the façade. Of course, my family could probably see through it, but I still felt obliged to pretend. I had been pretending for so long, until I met Bella.

I refused to let myself think about that. If Bella chose the _dog_, then it was for her own good. I could be self-sacrificing. I would let her stay with him if it was for the best. I had to, if I loved her enough. I remembered what I had said to Jacob, only yesterday, as Bella slept in his arms. That had been hard to watch, knowing that just a few days ago, it had been _my _arms wound around her.

Alice's thoughts faded into the distance.

"_And if she decided she wanted me?" _

"_I would let her go."_

"_Just like that?" _

"_In the sense that I'd never show her how hard it was for me, yes. But I would keep watch. You see, Jacob, _you _might leave _her _someday. Like Sam and Emily, you wouldn't have a choice. I would be waiting in the wings, hoping for that to happen." _

Waiting in the wings. It had seemed like such a simple statement then. That I would patiently wait for Bella, despite her choice. Odd that what had seemed so easy was now infuriatingly impossible. Waiting in the wings? How was I to do that? Forever staying near her, ensuring she was safe, making sure he never hurt her, and all the while knowing that I might never get the chance to hold her in my arms, never kiss her, never see the flash of intuition when she saw through the pretenses I had kept up for over eighty years. She knew as much about me as I let on, maybe even more.

_Edward! Edward!_

I groaned. Alice was back in hearing distance. I tried to muffle my unhappiness; perhaps she had news on Bella's choice. "What?" I said loudly, knowing she could hear me. Alice huffed lightly. I mashed my lips in one line. She was blocking me with the same tactics as with graduation-translating the Battle Hymn of the Republic into Arabic, and Korean sign language. Apparently she was not going to make this easy for me.

"Please, Alice?" I pleaded. I stiffened then-the general essence of her thoughts was not very happy. In fact, it was leaning more to sad, almost depressed, even. That could mean only one thing, then…

I kept back the fury, chagrin that was rising in me. I had promised myself that no matter what, I would not cave in. I wouldn't. I owed Bella that much, and so much more.

Alice ran over the vision she had had. I saw Bella, driving back to Charlie. I could see the brown of her eyes obscured slightly, blurred with the wetness of her tears. She kept them back in, however, and continued driving, with only the occasional sob escaping her lips. She was muttering something under her breath, something that had to do with Jacob. I blinked furiously, trying to concentrate on the vision.

Bella parked the ancient Chevy-it was strange to know that I could still appreciate how old that thing really was, I thought I was beyond noticing little details-and jogged up the path, her shoulders still shaking. I felt a tiny stab of pain, tiny in comparison to what I had felt the last time I tried leaving her as I heard Alice's thoughts-_she's trying to hold it in for Charlie. _

Charlie was watching TV, as usual. Bella walked past him without bothering for a greeting; I assumed she didn't want to risk speaking. Charlie called out to her. "_Bella?" _he called. Bella turned silently, her eyes rimmed with red. I thought I detected something hidden within the chocolate depths; outrage, or betrayal, but then it vanished.

She dug into her pocket, bringing out the box I recognized as the one holding her wedding ring. I hadn't realized I had given it to her. Bella swallowed once, twice, a third time before speaking. "Give this to Alice when she comes." And then she turned and fled.

_She knows I'm watching, _Alice thought.

I didn't bother to answer. The pain, the fury and loss and hurt, was threatening to crush me, and it wouldn't be fair to let Alice see that. I was far too arrogant to let anyone see how much this would hurt me. I whirled around and flung open the front door, running out. I leapt over the winding river; and as I jumped, I heard Alice's mind faintly.

_Come back soon, Edward. Come back real soon._


	3. Missing

_Some try to hand me money but they don't understand_

_I'm not broke I'm just a broken-hearted man_

_I know it makes no sense but what else can I do_

_How can I move on when I'm still in love with you_

I was drifting.

I had no where to go. I could not return to Forks to face Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, nor could I go to Alaska to visit the Denali clan for fear of questions. Although I had told Bella otherwise, I could read Tanya's mind and the way she regarded me was slightly more than mere brotherly love. So, I drifted.

I stayed in the woods, occasionally finding a hiker or two whenever I ventured too near to the trails. Often they would try to help me, to guide me back to the closest civilization, but I would always decline as politely as I could manage. I didn't need trite human necessities such as bathrooms or food. All I needed was to get away.

_Poor boy, I wonder why he's here alone with no one to help? Maybe he's a runaway? _

_Where are his parents? He looks so tired. Look at those circles!_

I was, at least, grateful not to hear them singing praises of the beauty immortality had given as a weapon. Perhaps my disheveled appearance subdued it some.

After two months, I found myself hovering somewhere near Canada. I hadn't bothered with state lines, so I was clueless as to where I was, or how close I was to human life. I looked down at my tattered clothes, caked with mud and dirt. Huge, gaping holes appeared at obscene places. There was no way I could venture near any human looking like this.

I sighed. I couldn't put this off any longer. I had promised Bella I would watch over her, and what was I doing? Running away and hiding in the safe confines of the forest like a coward. I had to be stronger than this, for her sake if not for mine. I knew very well that my family missed me, and I missed them too. It had been two months; two months too long. I should never have run off in the first place. I couldn't put this off any longer. I had to go back.

I started running, a flat-out sprint. It was lucky I was faster than anyone else in my family; otherwise, I would not have made it by nightfall. I took a detour, though; I changed directions and ran into Seattle, going out of my way. I flashed into a shop and out, running towards home clutching fresh clothes. Alice would be furious if I came back looking the way I did.

Once I entered the familiar forest surrounding my _home _I could start to hear voices. Real voices, jumbled into a tangled mess with thoughts. I recognized Sam's voice speaking, with Carlisle's voice answering his questions and asking some of his own. Why was Sam here?

"Where was Jacob?" _Was?_

"He was out, on a run. Patrol. Where's Edward?"

"He's on an extended…trip at the moment. He's on his way home right now. Alice, an estimate, please?"

_Figures he would run when he found out Bella had chosen Jacob. I wonder what he'll say if he finds out Jacob's imprinted on Sasha? _

That was enough to stun me. For a millisecond, all I could think of was _Jacob imprinted. _Selfish hope sprang up in me; maybe, now, I could take Bella back. I pushed it away, disgusted. How could I feel so ecstatic when Bella was probably hurting now?

Fury replaced the hopefulness. Who was Sasha? How was Bella taking it? _And why had I run away? _If I hadn't left this wouldn't be happening. Bella wouldn't be hurt right now. I should never have left. The mood changes startled me, pushing me to the edge.

"I suggest you don't think anything offensive. I wouldn't doubt he can hear us now."

I struggled not to let anything escape my lips, not to give away how much this was hurting now. I couldn't vent my anger on Alice, not when there were more pressing matters at hand. I ran faster now, not bothering to be quiet.

_About time the leech came. We've been here long enough. _It sounded like Paul now; what was so urgent that Sam had to come with his wingmen? Jacob imprinting was a big matter, but why the importance? Unless there was something more than they were letting on…

_Hurry, Edward. We've got a problem. _Alice. What was so important? Something was going on, something that was not registering in their thoughts, whether to keep it from me or because they simply didn't want to think of it I could not tell.

I leapt over the river, not pausing as I burst through the nearest available door. It cracked ominously-Esme would be furious. I stopped in front of Sam, half a head shorter yet not caring. He frowned at my anxiety. Was it really so surprising, considering I'd _left Bella for two months and Jacob imprinted? _

"What happened?" I demanded through gritted teeth. Alice put a hand on my arm. I shook it off. "What happened?" I repeated.

"Jacob imprinted on Claire's sister, Sasha. Bella disappeared the same day," Carlisle explained. I froze, my breathing cut off. Bella…left? What did that mean? She _left_? She had just picked up and left La Push, left Charlie, left Jacob, left _me_?

Of course she left. She chose Jacob. From what I knew, when Jacob imprinted, she was probably hurt. Too hurt to stay and watch him any more, the way I had been too hurt to watch her when she chose Jacob.

_It's more than just that, _Alice thought.

"What, then?" I half-shouted, throwing my hands in the air, whirling to face her. She stared back, unaffected, while Sam, Paul, Carlisle and Rosalie looked taken-aback. Alice was used to my temper.

"I know you think Bella left _because _Jacob imprinted, but it's not," Alice said quietly. I opened my mouth to ask, but she continued quickly. "Jacob imprinted at noon, after one of his runs around the neighborhood. He stopped at Emily's, where he met Sasha. When he came back, Bella was already gone. She shouldn't have known that he had imprinted."

"Then find her!" I roared. I could taste burning metal in my mouth; why were they stalling? Why weren't searching for her? Wasn't the point of the Quileutes to protect human life? What if her unstoppable luck had pushed her to become the focus of a tracker, much like James?

Sam interrupted whatever Alice was about to say. "That's the problem," he said. "We don't know if we should. Here. She left a note."

A note? Then, that meant she _had _left. She had made a conscious decision.

I took the small scrap of paper hesitantly. Did I want to read it? It could very well be more painful-but that was selfish. Too selfish. I always was. It was time I put aside my silly ego for something that benefited another. I focused on Bella's messy scrawl. The paper was worn and cracked from several hands touching it, folding and unfolding it.

_**something's happened to renée, and i can't ignore it. she's at a hospital after a failed attempt at sky-Diving, and she needs help showering and all sorts of Other daily needs. poor phil's at his wit's ends trying to help, and i'm Not going to sit back and relax while he's Trying to attend to my mum. it's Funny how she gets into the weirdest things, right? and jacob, you gave claire the wrong box. give her the Other one, the blue one with Lemons on the wrapping paper. you heard quil wrong; her favourite fruit is Lemon, not apples. you should go check your hearing; it's gone awry. Oh, and When the mail comes, you should find a check for two hundred dollars. i think it's from some friends in phoenix. i have no idea why they think i'm broke here. **_

I shook my head slowly, The note made no sense; it was just a note telling Jacob what to do and where she had gone. "She's gone to Phoenix, right? So follow her there."

"No." Sam was firm. I could tell he had no intent of budging. "She went to Phoenix to visit her mother. We should not invade on her privacy."

I stayed silent. He was right. Of course he was right. Bella wasn't mine to lose. And although she had not directly stated that no one was to follow her, she should be entitled to some quality time with Renée.

Sam was satisfied when I did not protest. He nodded firmly. "If you'll excuse us, then…"

"Of course," Carlisle immediately said, always the gracious host. I stood frozen, my hands still holding the slip of paper. I heard them phase and start running towards La Push.

Alice came to stand by me. "Edward," she said gently. "Edward, it'll be fine. She'll come back from Phoenix safely. Don't worry."

"It's not that, Alice." I glared down at the note, opening it and refolding it. "Look at Bella's writing, it's off. She never wrote like this, not even when she was agitated. She would spell properly. And what's this?" I flipped the paper around to see a series of numbers: 866 326437687.

What did it mean? It obviously wasn't a phone number. It seemed like random numbers, scrawled absently as a doodle of sorts. _Maybe it's just doodles, just random numbers, _Alice suggested.

I shook my head. There was something wrong. Something was off. I stared at the numbers, trying to make sense of it all. I flipped out my phone and dialed it, pressing the 'send' button. I listened. Nothing. The number didn't exist.

"Edward…"Carlisle began. I looked up; my expression was such that he didn't continue, but he pursued the matter in his thoughts. _Edward, you shouldn't be so worried. It's just a vacation, after all. There's no reason to get so worked up. She'll be back before you know it. _

I tried to control my temper. I could not lose my temper at Carlisle. He was my father. I respected him. "It's not like that, Carlisle. It's a…feeling. Something's not right."

_You of all people should've learned not to trust gut feelings, _Rosalie interrupted, her voice blending over Carlisle's. I growled under my breath as she continued. _You followed your feelings last year and look what happened. And now you want to follow your wonderful feelings again? _

I glared at her. "It's not like that, Rosalie," I said through gritted teeth. Her words stung, because they were right. _She _was right. Scientifically, she was right. I ought to listen to her, if I wanted to base my thoughts of facts and past mistakes. This, though, was something that could not be proven by science or facts.

_It's _exactly _like that. Stop lying to yourself, Edward. Bella's fine. You shouldn't let your paranoid instincts kick in. _

I tried to ignore her, staring down at the numbers in my hand. If only I could read codes, then maybe I would be able to finally know for sure it was just doodles and it was my nature that made me paranoid.

Codes…

I grabbed my phone again, flipping it open in a movement so fast it did not exist. I typed in the numbers hastily, then matched each number to each corresponding letter.

Bella was smart. If she was kidnapped, her captor wouldn't know what she was scribbling down unless he or she used a mobile phone to check.

Bella had spelled out TOO DANGEROUS.

Alice and Carlisle gasped, seeing what I saw. If the numbers were a code, then what about the note itself? I had remarked that Bella would not have written down her message using such erratic punctuation, so there must've been something in that, too.

I stared closely at the words. The words itself made sense; it was casual and apologetic. Why, then, was _Diving _in a capital letter, as well as nine other words? I read out the letters, one by one.

"D…O…N…T…"

"Don't follow," Carlisle murmured. _You were right. There was something to her letter. I'm sorry. _I nodded to let Carlisle know he was forgiven. I glared up at nothing in particular. Bella was smarter than she let on. Obviously she had known the pack wouldn't have realized the meaning behind her words; did she know that Jacob had imprinted too? Was the hidden message meant for _me_? I looked at Rosalie, whom was holding the note now. Bella's instructions echoed in my head, stinging me again and again.

_**Don't follow. Too dangerous.**_


	4. Through His Fingers

**So sorry for the late update! There was some drama in my life and writing sort of got put on hold for a while. **

_One year later…_

Alice's thoughts interrupted my own thoughts. _Edward, snap out of it. I know you want to find her, but please, you're going to be late for school. _

I felt like snarling at her; didn't she know better than to interrupt me when I was thinking? But then I sighed. Alice was right. I should probably be getting a move on. Bella wouldn't have wanted me to mope around no matter where she was.

_Hurry UP Edward! I'm getting tired of you and your moping! Bella Swan might or might not be alive, and if you two are meant to be together then you'll meet, okay? Stop whining about how much you miss her and get over it already! _Rosalie was mentally shrieking at me.

I hissed. "Rosalie, shut up," I warned. Rosalie simply smirked at me, smugness radiating from every thought running through her head. _You know I'm right, and that's why you're so angry at me. _

"Shut up, Rosalie. At least I'm not the poor little rich girl whom got thrown out by her parents that never bothered when she was dead," I snarled. Rosalie's smile disappeared, and I instantaneously regretted my words. That was very harsh, even for me. Before I could apologize, Rosalie had stalked out of the room.

_Stop it, Edward, _Alice thought severely. _Rose is trying to help. Though I must say she's not going about it very well. _

"Yes, she's not," I agreed, walking out, Alice by my side.

I had replaced my Volvo with a replica. The only distinguishable difference was the license plate. Alice had maintained the yellow Porsche I had given her perfectly, and Rosalie had bought a new black Ferrari. I drove to school with Alice and Jasper. Emmett followed Rosalie in her car.

I could hear Alice searching through our future, her thoughts curious. The quality of her visions was unclear, like they had been tampered with. It _was _possible to make out features through the visions. Flickers of teachers, food, the school facilities flashed in Alice's mind…but the faces of students themselves were blurred. I only managed to catch a glimpse of a mosaic-ed pair of blue jeans.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked, worried. The tension and worry in the car was getting to him. _Is it something bad, Edward?_

"No, no," I assured him, then re-thought my words. "On second thought, I don't know. The visions are sort of blurred, like someone's messing with Alice's vision."

Jasper frowned. _Think it's something potentially dangerous? _

I frowned, too. Dangerous…it was possible. Of course, _dangerous _had been a rare term since Bella…left. I tried not to think about that time. It was too hard for me to remember, to know that I had been so close to getting her back…

But I would never had gotten her back. She hadn't felt as strongly about me. Humans change. Their feelings faded and vanished altogether, unlike those of _my _kind.

"Edward, stop it," Jasper muttered. "The depression's kicking in."

I grimaced and tried to concentrate on other, more pleasant memories that wouldn't make me ache for the old times. I settled for remembering the short, bittersweet memory of our visit to Tanya's new house-none other than Forks.

"_Are you sure you'll be okay here?" Carlisle asked. _

_Tanya smiled. "Of course. You worry too much, Carlisle. We'll be fine." _

"_What's your story?" Alice asked curiously. _

"_We're family friends of the Cullens come here to live through their recommendation and found Forks to our liking while the Cullens relocate to San Francisco," Kate recited with an impish smile. Carlisle chuckled, then sobered up. _

"_Be warned-I'm fairly sure Charlie will interrogate you," he cautioned. _

"_What does Alice say?" Eleazar asked. _

"_I don't know," Alice chirped brightly. "Forks doesn't know you're coming yet, so nobody's really made a decision whether to question you or not." _

"Edward," Jasper murmured.

I sighed then, redirecting my thoughts to a different avenue. However, I couldn't keep the smaller, more stubborn side of my mind from wondering why Charlie wasn't worried about Bella's disappearance. It was as if she had left him a note, too, explaining why she had left. I hadn't spoken to Charlie since her choice, so I couldn't tell, and I didn't ask Alice. I could ask her now, but the question would seem too random. I didn't need to see Alice's pitying gazes. I didn't need anyone's pity.

Alice was searching for the future again. Her thoughts were astonished. _It's clear now, _she thought, surprised. _Almost like whatever was disrupting my visions left. _

"What? What, Alice?" Jasper asked roughly, sensing her astonishment.

"Her visions are clearer," I explained quietly. "As if whatever that was blocking her visions disappeared."

_Is that a good or bad omen? _Jasper wondered.

"I don't know," I said softly. "I really don't know."


	5. Time

_Previously…_

"_Her visions are clearer," I explained quietly. "As if whatever that was blocking her visions disappeared." _

_Is that a good or bad omen? Jasper wondered. _

"_I don't know," I said softly. "I don't know."_

**Ten Years Later**

"Rose, you can't buy that car. It's a convertible."

"So?"

Jasper's exasperated sigh. "You? A convertible? In _Seattle? _At least get something with more…cover!"

"Alice has her Porsche."

"Fine! I give up!" _Jeez, she can be hot-headed. _"Go get a Ferrari for all I care! I hope your car gets flooded and it's interior destroyed!"

_Is that a threat, Jasper?_

I sighed. I loved my family, but it was at times like this that I really wished they could be more mature. Really, I expected more from a family of vampires no younger than seventy. The way they behaved at times was really just childish.

My thoughts skittered back to Bella, like an insect running from light. Today was September 13th. It was her birthday. She would be 29 today.

Where was she?

I had tried searching everywhere, from Venice to Albuquerque, though it was a mystery as to why Bella would wish to leave her safe home in La Push to go traveling without so much as a word. I almost went to Italy to enlist Aro's help, but then he would know I had not fulfilled my promise in changing Bella and Caius would just as soon kill Bella. It was only a matter of time, however, that the Volturi came to visit. It had been twelve years since our last meeting; I recalled my conversation with Bella the night after.

"_The Volturi are only the _second _greatest?"_

"_You don't seem that upset about it."_

"_Well, we have plenty of time to think it through. Time means something very different to them than it does to you, or even me. They count years the way you count days. I wouldn't be surprised if you were thirty before you crossed their minds again."_

The horror on Bella's face had been distinguishable to the point of amusing when I said the word _thirty_. Of course I had thought it was due to fear, but when she told me it was of mere word thirty, I could barely keep a straight face. Though her tone had turned acidic when we discussed the topic of her renovations.

I sighed; I couldn't understand why Bella had vanished the way she had. Was it of her own accord, or was it of something more sinister?

"Edward," Alice said reprovingly. _Stop it. You are going to participate in this car conversation or go to your room and sulk. _

I got up and stormed to my room, abruptly in a foul mood. _Sucka, _Emmett thought.

"Would you live without Rosalie, Emmett?" I questioned, pausing at the foot of the stops. Emmett paused, obviously trying to decide if he should say no, and get teased for being emotional or say yes and risk the wrath of Rosalie.

"No," he said after a while.

"See?"

Jasper grinned. _Wow, Emmett's actually cheering him up. For a moment there I thought I was almost going to start screaming. _

I snarled at Jasper-a warning sound. _Hey, don't get all b****y on me. I'm not the one who left his mate against both their wishes. _

That was it. Whirling, I launched myself at Jasper, instinctive snarls erupting from me. We both tumbled backwards, shattering Esme's crystal coffee table to pieces and sending the car magazine fluttering. In milliseconds Emmett had twisted both my arms away from me, tearing me away from Jasper. Alice grabbed Jasper by the waist and pulled him backwards. Rosalie was braced in front of Jasper, facing me.

"Never say that again," I spit before ripping my arms off Emmett and storming to my room.


	6. Eternity

**Like I posted in my update of Falling Down and Getting Up, I'm SO sorry for not updating this story. But guys, to make things straight, you should really know that FD&GU is my primary story for now, so this would sort of be the little sideline until I finish FD&GU. When I do finish it, The Man Who Can't Be Moved will be the new primary story. So, yeah, I'll stop rambling now. Oh, and if you've been reading until this part, you would realize Jasper is a more central figure to the family now. I just didn't like it when Jasper was so excluded. So yeah. :D**

"School, school, don't we love it now," Emmett sang under his breath, which was useless since everyone could hear him anyway.

Rosalie was driving her new convertible to school, with all of us crammed into the one car since Emmett's new monster car had smashed itself on the roof of the garage. Esme had promised to remodel the garage so that it could fit the car in it.

"Emmett, shut up," Rosalie said. Emmett leered at her. _What a oddball, _Jasper thought. I ignored him. I was still holding a grudge against him for the previous episode.

_Aww, Edward's thinking about Bells again, _Emmett thought. I ignored that one, too.

It had been ten years since Bella disappeared. I had never found her. I didn't know if she was still alive and human, or if she was…not here any more. But I refused to even consider the latter-it was too hard, too painful to consider. I had to believe she was still alive. If I didn't have faith in her, who would?

"Edward," Alice said suddenly. _It's back. _

"What is?" I asked absently. _Look! _

I looked. Alice opened a vision that she had, barely a few seconds ago.

It was nothing much, just an image of a preppy group of girls, in our new school, by looks of it. They were wearing micro skirts and tiny tanks. That wasn't what caught my attention. It was the fact that all of their faces were fuzzed and blurred. I had the feeling of opening my eyes in mud-that was how blurred their faces were. I couldn't even see the colour of their hair.

_What do you think it is? _Alice wondered.

_What? Someone tell me what's going on! _Jasper yelled silently.

I heard Alice explain to Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper what she had seen. I didn't bother to pay attention. This new twist of events, mudane as it was, distracted me ever so slightly. I pondered over the meaning of this.

"Maybe it's the Volturi," I said suddenly, interrupting whatever Jasper was begginning to say. Jasper shot me a dirty look.

"The Volturi?" Emmett echoed doubtfully. "What would they have to do with this?"

"Afton," I suggested. "I think he had the ability to interrupt signals, static. I don't really know what he does. He intercepts signals of people trying to check in using their gifts. It would explain why Alice can't see any faces. It's a lousy gift, since hardly anyone would be stupid enough to try disrupt the Volturi's daily events, but Aro keeps him regardless since it's useful when the occasional gifted one comes by."

There was silence in the car for a moment as everyone considered what I was saying. "It's a definite possibility," Alice said. "But why would Afton be in _Seattle_?"

"Maybe he's sent to monitor the area," Jasper suggested.

"What in the world for?" Emmett argued.

"Look, who cares what Afton or whoever it is is doing? As long as someone's there, it's a danger. I think we should tell Carlisle," Rosalie said, executing a perfect turn into the parking lot. "And we've arrived."

"Jasper, mind calling Carlisle and tell him about this?" Alice asked, furrowing her brows. "I'll try see more into the future."

I ignored her, walking to the office with Emmett and Rosalie right behind me. Alice and Jasper drifted in behind.

"Hello," I said quietly to the receptionist, who was peering down at her computer. Technology had evolved to the extent that papers were considered a waste now. The receptionist looked up, her eyes widening when she saw me. _He-llo, baby. And who are you? _

I repressed a shudder at her thoughts. Emmett snickered softly behind me. I discreetly stepped on his foot. He got the signal and shut up. "My name is Edward Cullen. This is Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper. We're new students."

_Oh, so they're the Cullens! I was wondering when I saw the doctor today…_her thoughts were punctuated with several irrelevant memories of Carlisle.

"Um, okay. Here's your schedule…" she handed me thin sheets of paper, each stamped with our names, and I handed them out.

"Rosalie and Emmett Cullen, for your advanced Biology classes, you'll have to travel to Forks High School. Inconvenience is regretted, but all of the classes here are full."

Rosalie glared at the poor woman resentfully. _You mean I have to go _back _there? Jeez, we've been here for two minutes and I hate it! _

"Rosalie," I murmured, too softly for the humans to hear. _Don't Rosalie me, Edward Cullen! _

I rolled my eyes at Rosalie's immaturity. The receptionist was staring at Rosalie with an expression close to admiration. I cleared my throat to get her attention back. She tore her eyes away from Rosalie, embarrassment clouding her thoughts.

"Oh! And of course, Edward, Alice and Jasper Cullen, your schedules will probably be more relaxed than other schools, since you were in advanced classes back in…" she peered down at her computer, "Anchorage."

I inclined my head politely. The receptionist's eyes traveled through our little party and rested on Alice and Jasper, both of whom were holding hands, Jasper whispering comforting words to Alice. By her thoughts, Alice had only found more fuzzy images. Her eyes widened.

"If that's all," I said quickly, and we trooped out of the office. It was pouring when we got outside. Rosalie heaved a sigh of relief. _Thank god I put the cover up. _

I sighed silently. I really loved my family dearly, but it was at times like this that I really wished they could be more mature and less childish. Despite the fact that all of us were over sixty years old, everyone-especially Emmett-could act as if they were five year olds.

"Edward," Alice said as a quiet reprove. "Stop brooding. You are going to school with us. And let me tell you, you are certainly not going to ditch class just so that you can go sit in Rose's car and wallow in misery by yourself." She could just have thought it but she wanted to make a statement. Well, it worked. Now everyone was looking at me sympathetically. I didn't need to be an empath to feel the waves of pity flowing from them.

"Yeah, man, you don't need to be strong and all. No offense, Edward, but I really don't think the whole I'm-so-tough attitude is going so well." Emmett paused. "Actually, it's kind of masochistic."

I growled at him, soft enough so that it couldn't be heard under the pouring rain. Alice was skipping under Emmett's bulk, holding her designer dress as close to her body as possible. She smirked at me. "Well, he's kinda right. It _is _masochistic."

"I give up talking to you," I muttered, turning my head away. Rosalie and Alice ran at human speed under the shelter of the cafeteria as we walked in from the rain. I could hear their mental sighs of relief as they checked for stray drops of rain on their clothes. Emmett grinned as he walked on my left, shaking his head so that the drops of water flew everywhere. Most spattered on me. I glared at him.

"Now, now, Edward, no sulking. And definitely no ditching," Emmett warned me.

"Fine," I mumbled. Emmett smiled, triumphant. Absolutely nothing could dampen Emmett's mood. It remained unaffected despite circumstances. I knew, though, from the medium of his thoughts that Emmett missed Bella. Not as much as I did, of course, but definitely enough. It surpassed everyone excluding me and Alice. Before the day Bella…vanished, I never knew Emmett had had such a connection with Bella.

"No brooding, Edward," Jasper reminded me. I bit back a retort as we walked into our first class. Jasper meant well, but sometimes, he was just plain infuriating.

.xXx.

First class

The first period was French. I didn't bother to pay more than perfunctory attention to the redhead teacher; the syllabus had not changed much over time. Actually, the syllabus hadn't changed at all. The only difference was that now monthly French exams were a must.

"Est-ce que toute la bonne classe, nous aurions-nous svp cinq minutes de silence comme I avons installé le projecteur ? Je ne veux pas entendre parler," the teacher warned. **(All right class, would we please have five minutes of silence as I set up the projector? I do not want to hear any talking.)**

A dead silence fell over the class. Apparently they considered the teacher a formidable creature. Indeed she had the potential to seem rather frightening. Her hair was a startling shade of red, and she had a huge bosom and hips that flared out, implying that her's was once an hourglass figure. Many boys would probably be swooning over her if not for the fact that the teacher was well over seventy years old.

I sighed, keeping my eyes on the teacher who was struggling with the projector while scanning the minds of my human classmates.

_I wonder what Alyssa's doing right now…_

_Weird teacher. What is she doing, trying to kill the projector? _

_I don't think she even knows how to handle machinery. It's a delicate process not many people can absorb. Of course she would be one of the clueless morons who think computers and smartbooks are the same. _That came from a gawky nerd with artificially white teeth and spiked up hair.

I sighed. Everyone's minds were the same. Money, teacher, significant other half, money, school, other half, sex…human minds hadn't evolved much, either. The only distinguishable difference in the minds were that teenagers these days were more…mature. Overexposure to nudity and gore had made that inevitable.

My eyes settled on a girl sitting right behind, in the furthest back bench. Her eyes were blue flecked with green, but her hair was a startling mix of dark blonde, so dark it was hovering on brown. She looked different from the rest of the class, who either looked bored out of their skulls or just plain irritated. She looked edgy, like she was waiting for something bad to happen. It was intruiging.

Her curious eyes met mine and flickered back to the teacher.

"Semble qu'il y a une difficulté avec le projecteur. Je voudrais que vous ayez la conversation individuelle avec une personne de votre choix tandis que j'essaye de refiguring les fils," the teacher said suddenly, tearing my attention away from the strange girl in the back. **(Seems that there is a difficulty with the projector. I would like you to have individual conversation with a person of your choice while I try refiguring the wires.)**

Immediately I got up and half-jogged over to the human girl. She looked up to see me, and immediately looked away again, startled. Well, of course she would be a little startled. All humans were instantly repelled by our alienness, it was part of how we survived. If a human grew too close to us it was a danger. Still, I couldn't help but wish I could reverse that alien feeling. I needed her to open up to me, not clam up.

I tried peering through her mind, but all I found was a wall. Not any wall, but a thick, unyielding mental wall. That was surprising. She was like Bella. And I thought Bella's ability was one of a kind. Maybe she _was_ Bella…no, that was impossible! I banished the thought before it could corrupt my mind, spreading evil through it, tarnishing my thoughts. She couldn't be Bella. She was as different from Bella as night was different from day. The only similarity was the hair, and even then one could detect the slight blond tinge to this girl's hair.

Regardless, I was curious. I needed to talk to her. It was a burning desire. I stopped in front of her carefully braided hair and stared at her for a moment before speaking.

"Hello," I said quietly.


	7. First Sight

**I am SO sorry for not updating this story. I was busy with school and exams (in case anybody wants to know, I failed Maths) and just yesterday, Saturday, I was taking a CPR proficiency course, so I hope you understand. CPR is harder than you think, you know. My hand is really aching from all the compressions. But just so nobody misunderstands, this story will be sort of the secondary project. I update this in between updating Falling Down and Getting Up II: Black Rose, which is already infrequent as it is. Hope you understand and enjoy the chapter!**

**Note: Bella vanished in year 2003, so it is now 2014. Don't be saying how things are exactly the same, because now it's 2009 and how different is 2009 from 2000 in terms of major changes? It's not like Jamaica suddenly became part of Asia. **

_First Sight_

Her eyes flickered up to meet mine. I stared into the depths of her eyes. It was as if they were made of hundreds of layers, blue layering on green layered on gold and somewhere, deep in her eyes, was a trace of an old, deep brown that tugged at my memories.

I ignored the tiny feeling that I knew her from somewhere. It was ridiculous. My kind never _felt _like they knew someone from somewhere. Either we knew them or we did not. And I certainly did not know this girl.

A small part of my mind wondered if my…curiousity about this girl was akin to betrayal to Bella. It was ridiculous, and I pushed away the thought before I could really feel guilty. But my mind refused to release the thought, so I finally let it into my mind. It seeped into each crevice of my mind.

No. It definitely was not traitorous in any way. I did not even feel remotely connected to this girl. All I felt was intrugued. I couldn't read her mind, and what I could not do intrigued me. It had always been my way and would always be.

After one of her hearbeats she answered. "Hi," she said shyly. I didn't require empathy to know her wonder at me. She had never seen someone like me, I was a marvel, and so on and so forth. But something in me made me press on to uncover what she was hiding, because there was one thing I was sure of and it was that she was hiding something.

I paused, at a loss of words for the first time in my existence. I quickly seized upon the first subject that came to mind. "What's you name?"

Slick move, Edward, I thought to myself. But then again, the question was perfectly legitimate. I didn't know her name, so I had the right to ask her. It was the civilized thing to do.

She hesitated. "Elizabeth," she finally answered. I smiled encouragingly, though a part of me was puzzled. Why was she so hesitant to share her name?

"Elizabeth what?" I prodded. She smirked just a little bit.

"Elizabeth Renee Carlie," she said. I blinked. That was some name. Carlie? What in the world did that mean? Shouldn't it be _Charlie_, like Bella's father that depised me so?

I smiled a tiny, chaste smile. Ah, Charlie…I had never really found out why he hated me so much. There was a hidden reason that was never fully divulged in his thoughts…

"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth Renee Carlie," I said. "I'm Edward Anthony Mason Cullen." I only added my full name for the sake of teasing her; I simply could not resist the temptation to get some sort of reaction from this girl. I wanted to see her angry, irritated, and happy.

_Stop being so sadistic, Edward Cullen, _Alice thought severely as she passed outside the class, supposedly to the nurse, helping a girl with the skin colour of a reanimated corpse walk. I ignored her.

Elizabeth smirked. "Glad to meet you," she said politely but with some bite to her voice. I could fathom why on earth would she be so displeased to see me, as suggested by the tone of her voice. I hadn't done her any wrong except to mock her. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to get a reception here." She waved a cell phone around, black and glossy.

I rolled my eyes. "Reception? Here? Yeah, right. There's no reception for miles when there's a storm like this," I said, pointing out the wide glass wall. Schools had evolved in time to become the equivalent of posh mansions. "And even worse when you're using such a brand," I added, looking at the phone.

"Excuse me?" she raised her eyebrows. "Prada is not good enough for you?"

I noticed she spoke in proper, fluent English, unlike the 'in' slang most people used. What those fools didn't realize was the slang they used made them sound crass. What in the world was 'lol' and 'TTYL'? And for that matter, wasn't 'cya' a short form for cyanide? Call me old-fashioned, but the older I became, the less I seemed to understand about modern culture. At least I still knew what computers and netbooks were.

I shrugged. "Prada's fine, but if you wanted a cell phone, wouldn't the reasonable thing to do be to get a phone manufactured by a more generic brand? Nokia, or Sony Ericsson, perhaps?"

For some reason she started laughing. I scowled. This was not the response I had wanted. "Prada makes perfectly good phones. What's the difference between two phones, anyway? As long as it can text, call, take photos and doesn't look too shabby, it's perfectly fine to use."

"You must have some money to toss around, then," I remarked, gesturing towards the stylish phone with my chin. "That must cost a bundle. Are you even supposed to have got your hands on it this early?" I added, remembering that Alice had moaned that the new Prada phone wouldn't be released till later this year a few months back.

She stopped laughing then, and her eyes seemed to grow another layer over her magnificent eye colours. This layer was like a filter, making her eyes sparkle just as much yet add an aura of deep resent and anger. It was like staring into the eyes of the devil scorned. A frightening thing to watch, yet magnificently beautiful. I couldn't look away.

"No," she said darkly. "But I have my resources."

I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread then.

**Let's play detective, shall we? WHAT is Elizabeth Renee Carlie all about? Who is she? Is she human or vampire or what? I'd like to see your responses! Note: the name might or might not have a connection to BD. Just so that you guys won't immediately assume she's a Cullen just because of the name. I just like it. **


	8. Knowledge

**Reviews are much appreciated! And just a side note: how would you guys feel if I changed the rating to a more mature rating? Yes, lemons. But I'm not exactly sure. I'm not going to change the story to a graphic lemon story, but rather insert one or two here or there. Just to know how you people feel about it. I won't go on with it if you guys say no.**

_Knowledge_

School passed quickly but uneventfully. Lunch was a tedious affair; students all around were gossiping and muttering about 'the new kids'. Times hadn't changed _that _much.

Jasper and Alice seemed to realize that something was different about me, and both tried coaxing me to start a conversation several times. I barely noticed their efforts though; I was preoccupied.

I couldn't help but watch _that _girl throughout lunch. She sat with a group of preening girls and heavily muscled boys, yet somehow I felt like she was sitting by herself. She didn't participate in conversation much, and by the thoughts of her friends it wasn't her usual attitude. Something must have shaken her. It would be egoistical of me to imagine it was me.

She picked at her food, destroying the fruits and bread she had picked out for herself. Yet I noticed she never did eat one bite of it. I could only imagine she wasn't hungry.

Alice followed my gaze suddenly. I jerked around to stare at Rosalie and Emmett, but it was too late. Alice had focused on her. Her thoughts were slightly…surprised. _Well, well. Who is that? _

I gritted my teeth and looked upwards. Alice stifled a laugh. _Ignoring me, are we? Well, we'll see about that. _Her mind was suddenly occupied with images of her going over to talk to Elizabeth. I sighed, exasperated. Alice cheated.

"Nobody," I mouthed, looking downwards. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were laughing about Emmett's tale of a seducing teacher gone wrong, which had apparently taken place during his English lesson, but I wasn't taking any chances. One of them might still be focusing on me with some smaller part of their mind.

_She doesn't seem like nobody to me, Edward. What are her thoughts? _

I glared at Alice, then at the wall opposite. Then I shrugged.

_What is that supposed to mean? _Now Alice was indignant.

Looking down again, I mumbled so softly it was mute, "No thoughts."

Alice gasped mentally. _You mean like… _her sentence trailed off into nothing, followed by an apologetic but expectant silence. I pursed my lips. She wasn't going to let this go. What was I thinking? Of course she wasn't going to let this go, this was Alice I was talking to.

I blinked at the disgusting off-white ceiling then at the grimy tiled floor. Schools should really watch their level of hygiene, I thought absently. The standard set was terrible. I looked at what appeared to be a syrup stain on the floor. Since when did schools serve syrup for lunch?

_Wow…_Alice thought. I could see her turning ever so slightly to catch a look at Elizabeth, who was sitting diagonally left from us. We were, incidentally, smack dab in the middle of the cafeteria, allowing for more furtive glances and quick mutters. _Look at those eyes…I can't even think of a colour to describe them. She's gorgeous, Edward, almost…vampire._

I blinked. Then I hastily stared at Elizabeth, reassessing my previous judgment of her looks. Indeed she was beautiful, with that thick dark blonde hair and magnificent eyes, but vampire-like? I quickly tried to find flaws in her complexion, her posture, her teeth, and basically every part of her.

No, no, no. Her posture was perfect-she didn't slouch like many others. Her teeth gleamed brightly and were a perfect white, but she wasn't smiling enough to see if it was deadly. Her complexion…oh, no. Her skin was a perfect, flawless pale cream. Cream enough to pass off human, pale enough to be vampire. How could I have missed this?

Jasper felt my chagrin. "Edward? You okay?" he asked. Rosalie and Emmett glanced at me, and then shrugged it off as normal melancholy. If only they knew. Alice waved Jasper off.

"There's no scent," I said to Alice. She shrugged. _Hey, I said it was almost vampire, not that it _was.

Good point. She had me there. But she had planted the seed in my mind now. Elizabeth stood up, her heavy chair dragging on the dirty floor. That gave me some hope. A vampire would never drag a chair like that.

Then she walked to the bin to trash her destroyed lunch, and my hopes sank. Her walk was a fluid, supple movement, precisely comparable to that of Alice's. She moved quickly and yet she never seemed to fumble at all. The entire male population stopped staring at Rosalie to watch her leave. I couldn't help the bubble of anger from sizzling in me. Lustful, empty-headed fools. If she truly was a vampire, she could very well emancipate them all in seconds.

I needed to speak to Carlisle. He had to have an answer.

**xXx**

When we arrived home that day, Esme was back and was putting the finishing touches on a revamped garage with incredibly high ceilings and a metal shutter door. Highly-varnished beams held up the attic-styled garage roof. Sitting under a lamp in all its metallic glory was Emmett's new monster truck, an exact duplicate of his old one.

Emmett cried out and ran over to Esme, hugging her tightly, before dashing to his truck and planting loving kisses all over its polished interior. Esme smiled, watching him.

I ignored them all and stalked to the main building. Behind me I heard Alice making up excuses for my hostile behavior. I narrowed my eyes. Hostile? They hadn't seen the worst of it.

The hours flew past quickly. When Carlisle finally returned, I was waiting at the door for him. Before he could ask anything, I interrupted.

"We have a problem."


	9. Explanation

**Please review more! And trust me, the story is going to heat up pretty soon. There's more than meets the eye…**

Carlisle was early.

Well, that was fine by me. He could've skipped the whole day at work and I wouldn't have minded as long as he returned. I needed to ask him about this girl. And I needed a distraction. Bella's voice had been echoing in my head the whole day, making me feel so sick and guilty for not looking for her more.

But what if she didn't want to be found? What could I do then? For all I knew she was dead. I winced. No way. She couldn't be. My gut told me she was alive, though not necessarily happy. And that was all I needed.

"Carlisle," I said curtly the minute I saw him stroll through the door at a painfully slow pace, even for humans. He turned to me curiously. _Alice told me, _he thought, frowning slightly.

"Good," I said sharply. "So what is she?"

Carlisle sighed, putting his laptop bag on the floor. "I'm guessing more towards human right now," he admitted. _How do you expect me to decide when I haven't even seen her?!_

Even Carlisle has his immature moments.

"I don't _know _what she is! She's pale and I suppose she's beautiful but she doesn't have red _or _gold eyes and she's sure as hell comfortable around humans!" I shouted, the frustration bubbling up in me. _Haven't you noticed Edward's a teensy bit prone to overreaction? _Alice's voice this time, from ten, eleven years back.

Carlisle stopped. "If she doesn't have vampire traits, then she's human. Pale and beautiful doesn't mean anything special, Edward," he said reasonably. "Lots of humans are pale and beautiful-though they aren't quite vampire standard."

I cursed silently. How could I have been so dense? Of course she was human. Vampires weren't as common as Bella had imagined, it was only because of our longevity that we kept running into the same vampires time and again. I was cursing at my stupidity when I suddenly thought of a vital thing.

"Carlisle?" I asked quietly. "She doesn't have any scent…not human or vampire, and Alice can't see her." I paused. "Actually, Alice can see her, just not the face."

Carlisle froze. Just froze. "No…scent?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? She doesn't have a scent, human or vampire!" I shouted, irritated beyond belief. My emotions were running wild today. It was bizarre. _Edward, stop it. _There it went again, Bella's melodic voice, warning me to calm down before I did something I regretted. I was surprised the sound of it didn't send waves of emotion gushing through me and knocking me off my feet.

Carlisle was remembering something. "No scent…that's Afton's work," he mumbled, half to himself. I blinked at Carlisle.

"Afton?" I questioned.

"He's a member of the Volturi. His job is to interrupt signals, like preventing visions or blocking scents. They're still there, only unnoticeable. They usually use him when a member of the royal guard leave, so that nobody can hunt them down as a form of revenge against the Volturi," Carlisle explained.

I tried to sort this out. "So…this girl is a vampire, only she's been with the Volturi at some point or another?"

Carlisle bowed his head. "That's the idea, yes."

I grimaced. My existence had to be fraught with drama. I couldn't be a normal vampire…or as normal as vampires get.

I made my resolution quickly. Tomorrow, I would go to Elizabeth and ask her straight out. That would be easiest and most uncomplicated way. She would probably deny it, but I had to try regardless. This creature intrigued me. A vampire that had no scent, interfered with Alice's visions, and escaped from the Volturi guard intact? This I had to see.

_Don't scare her off, Edward. She's interesting, _Alice thought severely. _And her sense of style is seriously impaired. _

I sighed. Trust Alice to judge her by her fashion sense.

**Sorry it's so short, but I ran out of ideas. R&R please! And yes, I changed the summary.**


	10. AN

**Okay guys, I am sorry, but I won't be updating this much any more. I've lost my motivation for the story and I just ran out of ideas. When time comes I might update this, but for now this is on hiatus until further notice. Thanks so much for reading till now and anyway, read my other two stories-in-progress, Playgirl Meets Womanizer and Falling Down and Getting Up II (though you have to read prequel first). **

**Oh, and I changed the title and summary. :) Cheers and happy reading to all. **


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